Chemicals & Materials STEM OPT Jobs in Alabama
Alabama's chemicals and materials sector spans petrochemical plants along the Gulf Coast, polymer and rubber manufacturers in the Black Belt region, and specialty materials firms near Huntsville and Birmingham. F-1 students on STEM OPT will find sponsorship-active employers including Eastman Chemical, BASF, and Hyundai Steel Alabama, with Decatur, Mobile, and Montgomery among the most active hiring cities.
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Get Access To All JobsWhat we offer
Explore a world of opportunities with us. Look ahead with us and help shape innovative solutions to make our world more sustainable and life healthier, more vibrant and more comfortable. At Evonik, you have the chance to explore, thrive, and grow alongside 33,000 colleagues. Among attractive career paths and high-quality development programs, we not only offer performance-based remuneration and occupational health benefits but also hybrid and flexible working environments with #SmartWork. Bring your fresh perspective, develop your strengths, break out your mold, and find a career that fits your dreams with us.
The automation engineer is responsible for maintaining all aspects of the site automation network, troubleshooting the site control system and equipment PLCs, and assisting with the design and qualification of new automation systems.
This automation engineer works as part of a larger site engineering team. This position receives technical guidance and assistance from more senior automation engineering positions.
Responsibilities:
- Troubleshoot and resolve automation, software, and industrial network issues to minimize production downtime and improve system reliability.
- Modify, optimize, and maintain automation control logic in collaboration with process engineers and manufacturing subject matter experts.
- Design and execute automation improvement projects, including upgrades of legacy control systems and integration of production and utility systems into the site-wide control architecture.
- Manage and coordinate electrical contractors and third-party automation vendors to ensure successful and safe project execution.
- Develop and maintain automation documentation, including network architecture drawings, technical records, and system documentation.
- Ensure compliance with OSHA, electrical safety standards, and site EHS requirements for both employees and contractors.
- Support GMP, ISO, change control, and validation requirements by partnering with Quality Assurance and Validation teams during automation-related changes.
- Develop project budgets, cost estimates, scopes of work, and vendor bid packages for automation and electrical projects.
- Assist senior engineers with capital project planning, including project scope development, scheduling, resource planning, and cost management.
- Drive long-term automation reliability and modernization initiatives by improving system robustness, reducing downtime, and advancing plant-wide control system integration.
REQUIREMENTS
- Bachelor’s degree in Automation Engineering, Industrial Automation, Electrical Engineering, or a related technical field.
- Minimum 3+ years of industrial automation experience supporting manufacturing processes, control systems, and automation equipment.
- Strong experience with PLC, DCS, HMI, and SCADA systems, including Siemens PCS 7/S7 platforms, Allen-Bradley ControlLogix family, FactoryTalk View SE/ME, Wonderware, and GE iFIX.
- Proficiency in automation programming and troubleshooting, including ladder logic, structured text, sequential function charts, function blocks, and IEC 61131 programming standards.
- Experience integrating new equipment into existing control systems and migrating legacy automation platforms to modern, compliant solutions.
- Ability to troubleshoot complex software, control system, and industrial networking issues using advanced diagnostic and root-cause analysis techniques.
- Strong understanding of industrial networking and cybersecurity, including TCP/IP, Modbus, Ethernet/LAN/WAN infrastructure, Cisco networking hardware, Windows Domains, and Active Directory.
- Experience supporting automation IT infrastructure, including Microsoft Windows Server environments, SQL Server, OSI PI, virtualization technologies (VMware/Hyper-V), virtual machines, and command-line interfaces.
- Demonstrated project management skills, with the ability to develop scopes of work, manage vendors, estimate costs, and execute automation/electrical projects up to approximately $100K.
- Knowledge of automation documentation and system management tools, including Visio, asset management strategies, and maintaining technical records and network architecture documentation.
The Evonik Group adopts an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) approach. Candidates are assessed based on their educational qualifications, experience, job competencies and potential and shall not be discriminated against on the basis of race, ethnicity, age, gender, religion, nationality, disability or sexual orientation or other classifications protected by local, state, or provincial regulations.
Your Application
To ensure that your application is proceeded as quickly as possible and to protect the environment, please apply online via our careers portal. Further information about Evonik as Employer can be found at www.evonik.com/en/careers.html.
Please address your application to the Talent Acquisition Manager, stating your earliest possible starting date and your salary expectations.
Your Talent Acquisition Manager:
Kelvin Seals
Company is
Evonik Corporation
What we offer
Explore a world of opportunities with us. Look ahead with us and help shape innovative solutions to make our world more sustainable and life healthier, more vibrant and more comfortable. At Evonik, you have the chance to explore, thrive, and grow alongside 33,000 colleagues. Among attractive career paths and high-quality development programs, we not only offer performance-based remuneration and occupational health benefits but also hybrid and flexible working environments with #SmartWork. Bring your fresh perspective, develop your strengths, break out your mold, and find a career that fits your dreams with us.
The automation engineer is responsible for maintaining all aspects of the site automation network, troubleshooting the site control system and equipment PLCs, and assisting with the design and qualification of new automation systems.
This automation engineer works as part of a larger site engineering team. This position receives technical guidance and assistance from more senior automation engineering positions.
Responsibilities:
- Troubleshoot and resolve automation, software, and industrial network issues to minimize production downtime and improve system reliability.
- Modify, optimize, and maintain automation control logic in collaboration with process engineers and manufacturing subject matter experts.
- Design and execute automation improvement projects, including upgrades of legacy control systems and integration of production and utility systems into the site-wide control architecture.
- Manage and coordinate electrical contractors and third-party automation vendors to ensure successful and safe project execution.
- Develop and maintain automation documentation, including network architecture drawings, technical records, and system documentation.
- Ensure compliance with OSHA, electrical safety standards, and site EHS requirements for both employees and contractors.
- Support GMP, ISO, change control, and validation requirements by partnering with Quality Assurance and Validation teams during automation-related changes.
- Develop project budgets, cost estimates, scopes of work, and vendor bid packages for automation and electrical projects.
- Assist senior engineers with capital project planning, including project scope development, scheduling, resource planning, and cost management.
- Drive long-term automation reliability and modernization initiatives by improving system robustness, reducing downtime, and advancing plant-wide control system integration.
REQUIREMENTS
- Bachelor’s degree in Automation Engineering, Industrial Automation, Electrical Engineering, or a related technical field.
- Minimum 3+ years of industrial automation experience supporting manufacturing processes, control systems, and automation equipment.
- Strong experience with PLC, DCS, HMI, and SCADA systems, including Siemens PCS 7/S7 platforms, Allen-Bradley ControlLogix family, FactoryTalk View SE/ME, Wonderware, and GE iFIX.
- Proficiency in automation programming and troubleshooting, including ladder logic, structured text, sequential function charts, function blocks, and IEC 61131 programming standards.
- Experience integrating new equipment into existing control systems and migrating legacy automation platforms to modern, compliant solutions.
- Ability to troubleshoot complex software, control system, and industrial networking issues using advanced diagnostic and root-cause analysis techniques.
- Strong understanding of industrial networking and cybersecurity, including TCP/IP, Modbus, Ethernet/LAN/WAN infrastructure, Cisco networking hardware, Windows Domains, and Active Directory.
- Experience supporting automation IT infrastructure, including Microsoft Windows Server environments, SQL Server, OSI PI, virtualization technologies (VMware/Hyper-V), virtual machines, and command-line interfaces.
- Demonstrated project management skills, with the ability to develop scopes of work, manage vendors, estimate costs, and execute automation/electrical projects up to approximately $100K.
- Knowledge of automation documentation and system management tools, including Visio, asset management strategies, and maintaining technical records and network architecture documentation.
The Evonik Group adopts an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) approach. Candidates are assessed based on their educational qualifications, experience, job competencies and potential and shall not be discriminated against on the basis of race, ethnicity, age, gender, religion, nationality, disability or sexual orientation or other classifications protected by local, state, or provincial regulations.
Your Application
To ensure that your application is proceeded as quickly as possible and to protect the environment, please apply online via our careers portal. Further information about Evonik as Employer can be found at www.evonik.com/en/careers.html.
Please address your application to the Talent Acquisition Manager, stating your earliest possible starting date and your salary expectations.
Your Talent Acquisition Manager:
Kelvin Seals
Company is
Evonik Corporation
STEM OPT Chemicals & Materials Job Roles in Alabama
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Search Chemicals & Materials Jobs in AlabamaChemicals & Materials STEM OPT Sponsorship Jobs in Alabama: Frequently Asked Questions
Which chemicals and materials companies sponsor F-1 STEM OPT visas in Alabama?
Alabama has a number of chemicals and materials employers with documented sponsorship activity, including Eastman Chemical's operations in the Tennessee Valley corridor, BASF facilities serving the automotive and agricultural sectors, and Novelis aluminum rolling operations near Huntsville. Hyundai Steel Alabama and several polymer compounders in the Mobile and Decatur areas have also filed Labor Condition Applications for roles. Sponsorship patterns vary by facility size, workforce needs, and the specific role.
Which cities in Alabama have the most chemicals and materials F-1 STEM OPT sponsorship jobs?
Decatur leads in chemicals and materials activity due to its concentration of chemical manufacturing plants along the Tennessee River industrial corridor. Mobile offers opportunities tied to port-adjacent petrochemical and specialty coatings operations. Huntsville attracts advanced materials and polymer roles connected to aerospace and defense supply chains. Birmingham and Montgomery round out the list with plastics compounding, rubber products, and industrial coatings employers that have historically supported STEM OPT workers.
What types of chemicals and materials roles typically qualify for F-1 STEM OPT sponsorship?
Roles that qualify must be in a STEM-designated field of study and involve practical training directly related to that field. In chemicals and materials, qualifying positions commonly include process engineer, materials scientist, R&D chemist, quality assurance engineer, polymer chemist, and environmental health and safety engineer. O*NET classifies most of these at Job Zone 4 or 5, requiring a bachelor's or advanced degree in chemistry, chemical engineering, materials science, or a closely related discipline.
How do I find chemicals and materials F-1 STEM OPT sponsorship jobs in Alabama?
Migrate Mate filters job listings specifically for employers with active F-1 STEM OPT sponsorship history, so you can search chemicals and materials roles in Alabama without manually cross-referencing DOL disclosure data. You can filter by STEM OPT eligibility, location, and job function to surface roles at Alabama facilities in Decatur, Mobile, Huntsville, and beyond. Confirming sponsorship willingness directly with the hiring team remains an important step before applying.
Are there any Alabama-specific considerations for F-1 STEM OPT sponsorship in chemicals and materials?
Alabama does not impose state-level visa sponsorship requirements beyond federal rules, but the state's chemicals and materials sector is heavily tied to automotive, aerospace, and petrochemical supply chains, which means hiring cycles often align with capital project schedules and production ramp-ups. Many facilities in Alabama are subsidiaries of multinational corporations, which can support established global mobility programs. Workers on STEM OPT extensions must ensure their employer is E-Verify enrolled, as federal regulations require this for all STEM OPT extensions.